I Tried the Isagenix 9-Day System, and Here’s What Happened

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Coming off a very fun-filled weekend spent with family and friends at parties, barbecues, and football games (read: pizza, chips and dip, beer, and Mexican food), I felt it was the perfect time to boost my weight loss efforts and try the Isagenix 9-Day System!

Admittedly, it was my first time committing to a system like this, and I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I planned some healthy dinner options with the help of theIsagenix recipe guide, which helped me get organized and feel more prepared.

When you start an Isagenix System, it is recommended you complete at least two Shake Days prior to a Cleanse Day. This helps your body become more accustomed to the reduced number of calories you will be consuming on a Cleanse Day. On Shake Days, you replace two conventional meals with two IsaLean Shakes and have one sensible (400-600-calorie) meal. On Cleanse Days, the goal is to significantly limit calories for a period of up to two consecutive days per week (a total of four days per month) while receiving nourishment from Cleanse for Life and other Cleanse Day snack options. Armed with my products, I was ready to get started!

Day 1: Monday, Sept. 24 (Shake Day)

I made my first shake at work with help from a friend at the office. She showed me how to make my shake using the IsaBlender® Max. She also gave me some great ideas about adding fruit, Isagenix Coffee, or even cinnamon to enhance the flavor.

At lunchtime, I went to the grocery store to pick up some lean turkey deli meat, avocado, almonds, and fresh berries. For my afternoon shake, I added half a banana, which made it even creamier and more delicious.

On the way home from work, I texted my husband to tell him how surprised I was that I didn’t feel hungry or tired. When I prepared dinner, I snacked on a few slices of red bell peppers and made a healthy chicken and veggie stir-fry with rice. I completed my first day and felt ready to do it again the next day!

Day 2: Tuesday, Sept. 25 (Shake Day)

I slept great and woke up feeling good. I made myself a shake at home to have on the way to work. I used 4 ounces of unsweetened iced coffee and added half a banana. I also added in a splash of nonfat milk. So good!

I packed myself a few low-calorie snacks to get me through the work day. Midmorning, I ate three slices of turkey lunch meat and a quarter of an avocado. I felt full at lunchtime, so I decided to postpone my afternoon shake a few hours. Later that afternoon, I had another shake, and before I left work, I ate string cheese and anIsaDelight®.

At home, I grilled a veggie burger, made a garden salad with low-calorie dressing, and cooked a sweet potato. I ended the day feeling satisfied.

Day 3: Wednesday, Sept. 26 (Cleanse Day)

When I woke up, I felt hungry and had a headache. Not the best way to start my first Cleanse Day. I was honestly not looking forward to this day but knew I could do it.

After I got to work, I drank my first serving of Cleanse for Life and tried to stay busy. I had one IsaDelight and drank plenty of water. I learned that it’s very important to stay hydrated on Cleanse Days.

By lunchtime, my headache had not gone away, and I felt tired. I couldn’t tell if that was because I hadn’t had caffeine or because I needed food. Either way, I decided to make myself a cup of hot tea and had another IsaDelight. I also ate one of my chocolate-flavored Isagenix Snacks, which was a good distraction. I had a lot of work to do and tried to stay focused to cross items off my to-do list!

In the afternoon, I reached out to our nutrition education specialist, Taylor, who recommended I eat or drink something. She suggested I try having a snack, such as a bag of Whey Thins™or an apple. Instead, I opted to power through and just kept drinking water. My fog finally lifted around 3:30 p.m. Yay!

When I left the office around 5 p.m., I was tired but made dinner for my family. It was a little strange to sit down at the table and eat nothing, but it was nice just to catch up. I had my last IsaDelight, drank even more water, and went to bed at 9:30 p.m.

I DID IT!

Day 4: Thursday, Sept. 27 (Shake Day)

Instead of doing a second Cleanse Day as recommended in the 9-Day System, I opted for another Shake Day.

When I woke up, I was hungry but made my kids pancakes (that never happens!) and took them to school. It was a work from home day, and I was excited to come back and make my shake.

A few hours after my shake, I cooked two eggs using coconut oil cooking spray, and it was so good! I felt alert and had tons of energy. I had some nutritious snacks throughout the day and enjoyed a second shake in the afternoon.

For dinner, I made grilled chicken sausage, salad, and rice.

Day 5: Friday, Sept. 28 (Shake Day)

I took the day off from work because it was my son’s birthday. After my morning shake, I decided to go for a run. I made some eggs when I got home, which kept me full most of the afternoon. We brought donuts to my son’s school to celebrate his birthday, and I threw an apple in my bag to snack on.

We had a busy afternoon running errands with the kids and then went to dinner for the birthday boy. I looked at the menu in advance and planned out what I would order so there were no temptations. We went to one of my favorite breweries where I would normally have a beer (or two) and a giant salad with way too many calories. Instead, I stuck to soda water with lime and had grilled chicken, black beans, and brown rice. It was very filling and quite delicious!

After dinner, we went to the movies and the smell of buttery popcorn wasn’t even tempting.

Day 6: Saturday, Sept. 29 (Shake Day)

Started the weekend at my son’s soccer game. Then I went to the grocery store to pick up some fruit and lunch meat to snack on throughout the day. I had my shake and later in the morning made some eggs.

We were out most of the day running errands and getting organized, which kept me busy and helped me stay on track.

My husband had a night out with friends, so I picked up a Greek salad at my favorite restaurant and grabbed fast food for the kids (a rare treat in our house).

Day 7: Sunday, Sept. 30 (Shake Day)

After I woke up and prepared a shake, I began looking up different shake recipesto change things up. My favorite combination is unsweetened iced coffee, a little water, ice, and half a banana. It’s so quick and easy.

I went grocery shopping for the week and planned out some healthy meals. My daughter wanted to make homemade chocolate chip cookies, so I helped her in the kitchen. Instead of shoving cookie dough in my mouth when we were done, I rinsed the bowl and quickly got it into the dishwasher. When the cookies came out of the oven (OMG, my house smelled amazing), I cut them up for everyone and Did. Not. Take. One. Bite. Go me!

The kids spent the night at my parents, so my husband and I planned to go out to dinner. Instead of worrying if the restaurant offered a light menu (they don’t), I knew I could stick to something healthy and stay on track. After what seemed like a very long day at home with the kids (lots of fighting and whining), my patience level had reached an all-time low. I really wanted a glass of wine with dinner. For a few seconds, I convinced myself that I deserved one before my husband talked me out of it. He was right. I had followed the plan religiously for nearly a week, why would I mess it up now?

Dinner was at one of my favorite restaurants that usually calls for a celebratory drink (nope), to-die-for cornbread (not this time), and a slice of the most amazing key lime pie for dessert (negative). Instead, we shared a bottle of sparkling water, and I opted for the grilled chicken salad. I enjoyed every bite. It was a nice, relaxing evening. Having quality time alone with my husband doesn’t mean we can’t go out to dinner or have fun. I’ve learned that the Isagenix System can work even during special nights.

Day 8: Monday, Oct. 1 (Shake Day)

Although I hadn’t weighed myself since Friday, I started to see some results. I had a little more wiggle room in my jeans, and my skin felt good.

I had my morning shake and brought some nutritious snacks to work – hard-boiled eggs, pretzel sticks, and an apple. I had several meetings to attend and not much time to make a shake. After I talked to my co-workers, they suggested I have an IsaLean Barinstead. This was definitely a nice way to change things up and great to have on hand for busy days.

I drank a lot of water and felt good. I went home and prepared turkey chili for my family on a dark rainy evening. Then I slept well.

Day 9: Tuesday, Oct. 2 (Shake Day)

After I woke up, I had a shake and packed my snacks for the day – low-fat Greek yogurt, pretzels, and a string cheese. I planned on grabbing another IsaLean Bar in our café for lunch.

I drank a lot of water in preparation for tomorrow – Cleanse Day!

After being at work all day, I felt like exercising, not only to get fresh air but also to spend some time outdoor with my kids. The weather has finally cooled off!

I got home a little after 5 p.m., quickly changed into workout clothes and asked if anyone wanted to come with me. My daughter jumped at the chance to ride her bike, and I ran behind her. She asked to stop at the park and play. I enjoyed catching up with her.

After we got home, I made dinner, watched “This Is Us,” and went to bed.

Day 10: Wednesday, Oct. 3 (Cleanse Day)

I woke up and was excited to do another Cleanse Day! I felt good (no headache or fog), drank a lot of water, and had my first serving of Cleanse for Life before work.

It was a busy morning and afternoon at the office. I decided that Cleanse Days at the office are probably much easier than doing them at home because my pantry can’t call my name.

I had another serving of Cleanse for Life and one wafer of Isagenix Snacks. I also had an IsaDelight and some apple. I learned this process is very individualized, and it’s important to identify your goals and figure out what works best FOR YOU so you can be successful.

All afternoon at work, I felt alert and awake and was productive.

I went home and made dinner for my family. I was hungry, but this time, it felt much more manageable. I felt good, not overly tired like I did last week. I went to bed early after drinking tons of water and slept very well.

Day 11: Thursday, Oct. 4 (Modified Shake Day)

Last day! I decided to do a Shake Day instead of another Cleanse Day and truly enjoyed my delicious shake. Afterward, I immediately perked up. My stomach was ready for food, but my mind was clear, and I was able to focus on work.

I had a low-fat Greek yogurt and an IsaDelightat the office. It was National Taco Day, and there were free tacos for lunch. Instead, I ate my apple and drank more water.

In the afternoon, I had a Slim Cake®and a piece of string cheese. I went home, spent more time outside with my kids, made dinner for them, and went to bed.

Final Thoughts

When I woke up Friday morning, I was excited to weigh myself. I was happy to step on the scale and see a 6-pound weight loss.* Hard work pays off!

I am lucky to have supportive colleagues who encouraged me along the way. But, mostly, I’m proud of myself for sticking with it and am happy with the results. I now feel more familiar with the Isagenix products and can see how well the system can work. It was nice to put some food in my belly this morning, but I do think shakes will be part of my morning routine. I also realized how few calories my body really needs to function on a Cleanse Day – much less than I thought.

When I asked Taylor about how to maintain momentum after the Isagenix 9-Day System, she said, “Set your goal to have at least one shake each day, and do one Cleanse Day a month. This will enable you to enjoy more flexibility but maintain the healthy habits you gained during your experience!”

She also said Isagenix is a lifestyle, which didn’t really resonate with me until the following Monday morning when I weighed myself after a weekend of indulging. Not only was the scale up a few pounds, but I felt bloated and uncomfortable. Maybe a better approach would have been to splurge on one meal, not every meal during the weekend. Lesson learned.

I felt myself quickly falling into bad habits and didn’t want all my hard work to go to waste, so I made myself a shake before I left for work. It felt good to get back on track. Taylor said that starting your day with a shake is a great foundation to make healthier choices for the rest of the day. This now rings especially true for me.

*Results not typical. Weight loss, muscle gain, lifestyle, and other results depicted here reflect exceptional individual experiences of Isagenix Customers and should not be construed as typical or average. Results vary with individual effort, body composition, eating patterns, time, exercise, and other factors, such as genetic and physiological makeup.

DISCLOSURE: This article was written for IsaFYI.com, which is owned and operated by Isagenix International, LLC. Meghann Sepulveda is a creative copywriter at Isagenix.